Zelensky Hopes to Receive As Soon As Possible More American Pac-3 Missiles, Paid for by His European Partners in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday published a congratulatory message he received a day earlier from U.S. President Donald Trump on the occasion of Ukraine's 35th anniversary of independence. In the message, Trump offered to give a new impetus to peace efforts so that Ukraine can realize its "extraordinary potential, according to Agerpres. "Let us seize this moment to end the conflict and build a lasting peace that will stand and unlock Ukraine's extraordinary potential for generations to come, Trump wrote in the letter, in which he conveyed to Zelensky his country's "admiration" for Ukraine's "spirit of resistance" and the "sacrifices" it is making in this war.

"With brave, valiant and talented people, you have built a great country, Trump also wrote, expressing his "confidence" in Ukraine's future "as a sovereign and prosperous nation" and celebrating the "friendship" between the two countries. Zelensky welcomed Trump's unusually warm tone toward Ukraine in the letter, comparing the message to "a Patriot PAC-3 (missile) launch: It lifts our morale and gives us hope that lives can be protected from Russia's brutal attacks and that a dignified peace can be achieved. The Ukrainian president, who posted Trump's letter on platform X, was referring to the American interceptor missiles Ukraine needs to protect itself from Russian ballistic missiles.

The lack of this American technology, which is in high demand worldwide, leaves Ukraine extremely vulnerable to Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky hopes to receive as soon as possible more American PAC-3 missiles, paid for by his European partners. In addition, Kyiv has asked the U.S. for permission to manufacture these interceptor missiles itself.

Trump gave the green light to this possibility last month in a meeting with Zelensky, but has backtracked in some of his recent public statements. The Ukrainian president also said he hopes to receive more PAC-3 missiles soon, funded by European allies, and reiterated Kyiv's request to produce the interceptors domestically with U.S. approval.